Rail-joint.



No. 741,062. l PA'TBNTBD 00T. 13, 1903.

C. H. MUKBE.-

RAIL JOIN-T. l

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v e WITNESSES:

. I /.LNVENTMOR n www M MU ATTORNEYS.

Nrren STATES Patented October 13, 1903.

CHARLES H. MCKEE, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA. Y

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters' Patent No. 741,062, dated October 13, 1903.

Application filed December 6, 1901. Serial No. 84,879. (No model.)

.To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. MOKEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theartto which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved joint for supporting and securing the meeting ends of two adjacent rails; and to this end the present invention consists of a new and improved joint designed to be placed between two ties and in the construction and combination of parts, all as fully hereinafter described and particularly claimed.

Inthe accompanying drawings', which illustrate applications of my invention, Figure l is a perspective view showing a portion of two ties and two rails and my joint applied thereto; Fig. 2, a part side elevational view and a part vertical sectional view; Fig. 3, a perspective view of ties, rails, and joint, the latter being a modification of the form of Figs. l and 2; and Fig. e a vertical sectional view.

Referring to the drawings, A and B represent portions of two adjacent rails of the usual and well-known form, and C ties.

The joint, which is preferably made of cast metal, comprises a hollow casing or sleeve l, having a base portion 2, which latter is provided with slots 3, out through opposite faces thereof, said slots being connected by slightlyinclined paths in the base portion. Made integral with and extending throughout the length of the casing are two parallel bars or beams 4, which may terminate in end bearings 5, which latter extend. outwardlyfroni the casing proper, or these end bearings 5 may be dispensed with. Vxh'en employed, the contact-faces of these bearings or projections 5 are shaped to coincide with the shape of the upper faces of the anges of each rail. The joint is placed inr position at the meeting ends of the two rails by rst sliding it along and around the base of one rail, atter which the end of the other rail is brought into alinement with it' and the joint then slid Y along until it incloses equal portions of the bases of both rails.

A centrally-disposed downwardly-extend ing web or truss 6 extends longitudinally of the base portion and is connected with the casing and the parallel bars L by means of strengthening ribs or bands 7, which are of sufficient strength to maintain the dependent truss and the bars a in their proper relative positions. When the joint as thus constructed is placed in proper position around the meeting ends of two. rails and the ends of the rails fastened firmly in it and in alinement by means of a lateral wedge or wedges hereinafter referred to,the compression strain is thrown upon the parallel bars or beams 4 and the tension strain upon the dependent truss beneath. In practice Iprefer to make the casing, with its parallel bars, truss, and ribs or bands, in such proportions that the joint will have as much or greater strength and be capable of sustaining as heavy a load without deflection as a section of the rail will carry between the ties.

In the form of Fig. l I employ a single tapering wedgeS,which passes laterally through the slots 3 and the casing in frictional con-` tact with bases of both of the adjacent rails. This wedge has an exceedingly slight taper and rests on a slightly-inclined path in the 'base portion 2 of the casing. When this wedgeis driven in tight, it will bring the bases of the rails into perfect alinement and cause the casing and its parallel bars to be drawn downtightly on the flanges of the adjacent rails.

Forsome purposes it may be desirable to use in connection with the central wedge two end wedges, as shown by Fig. 3. The advantage resulting from the employment of the two end Wedges is the joint will have a somewhat better grasp upon the rails, as it is clamped tightly to the V`rails at its ends on the under side thereof, as well as on top of the ianges. The slightly-inclined paths or tracks connecting the slots and upon and along which the wedges move are of such slopes or inclinations that when the Wedges are resting thereon the tops of the wedges lie in horizontal planes and when driven tight are in contact with the bases of the rails.

For some purposes I employ two separate laterally-driven wedges under each of the meeting rails. Such a construction is described and claimed in application filed by me June 2, 1902, Serial No. 109,886.

It will be noted that my improved joint is supported on the flanges of the rails. In practice it is constructed sufficiently long to extend upon each of the two rails to a point upon each rail, at which point the rail is capable of sustaining as great a load as the rail will carry between any two tiesthat is to say, the joint is supported at places on the two rails, each one of which places is capable of carrying the whole load. Attention is called to the strength and simplicity of my joint. The strength of the joint is due to the form and to the distribution of the material as illustrated and described, care having been exercised to make the parts where the greatest strain falls the strongest and to so distribute the strain upon the joint that it will have ample Strength and durability.

What I claim is- 1. In a rail-joint, thecombination, with the meeting ends of two adjacent rails, of an integral casing inclosing the bases of the ends of the rails, said casing having two parallel bars or parts, one on each side of the web of each rail and bearing,r upon the anges of the rails, and a laterallydisposed wedge passing through the casing and in frictional contact with the base of each rail and the casing, substantially as set forth.

2. In a rail-joint, the combination, with the meeting ends of two adjacent rails, of a casing inclosing the bases of the ends of the rails and supported from the flanges of said rails, said casing having two parallel bars, or parts, one on each side of the web of each rail, a depending Web or truss, strengthening ribs or bands, and a laterally-disposed wedge extending through the casing in frictional contact with the base of each rail and the casing, substantially as set forth.

D 3. In a rail-joint, the combination, with the meeting ends of two adjacent rails, of a casing inclosing the bases of the ends of two adjacent rails, a central laterally disposed wedge extending through 4the casing and in frictional contact with the base of each rail and the casing, and end wedges, substantially as set forth.

4. In a rail-joint, the combination, with the meeting ends of two adjacent rails, ot a casing inclosing the bases of the ends of the rails, parallel bars, or beams, one on each side of the Webs of the rails and made integral with the casing, outwardly projecting bearings adapted to bear upon the iianges of the rails, strengthening ribs or bands, adepending web or truss, said ribs connecting the casing, truss and parallel beams, and a laterally-driven wedge in frictional contact with the base of each rail and with the casing, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of witnesses.

CHARLES II. MCKEE.

Witnesses:

F. L. ROBERTS, LAURA E. HUBBARD. 

